Once a year \u2014 usually without planning it, and always with some amount of caloric regret \u2014 we take the kids to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. This year, it had been a few years since our last visit. Life happened. Work, school, the general vortex of family schedules. But this past weekend, the stars aligned. Or rather, my wife had a \u201cwomen\u2019s night\u201d planned, so I seized the moment and bought festival tickets for me and the kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As it turns out, her event was suddenly upgraded mid-commute to a \u201ccouples welcome\u201d party. She called to say I should come back so we could attend together. But by then, the kids and I were already halfway to Epcot, stomachs growling, smiles forming. I looked back at them, and they looked at me \u2014 just long enough to make sure I wasn\u2019t going to cancel. I wasn\u2019t. We were all in.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Food & Wine Festival at Epcot, if you\u2019ve never been, is basically a marathon of small plates and big decisions. There are 30+ \u201ccountries\u201d or booths representing global cuisines \u2014 too many to try in one day, but we give it a valiant effort every time. It\u2019s also a tradition we\u2019ve done since the kids were young, and there\u2019s something charming (and mildly chaotic) about watching them light up at the idea of choosing a bite from each new place. It\u2019s like trick-or-treating, but for foodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, I went hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s just a taste:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n